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18 confusing days in May 1940 |
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Belgian and French soldiers pass through a Belgian town |
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October 19 2024 |
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Ready! The finished diorama is to go with me to the 2024 Scale Model Challenge. I invited Mark to come to it. With his diorama there and an explanation and a little candle he is here in spirit. The easer eggs: His name on the door of the garage, an add for his favorite icecream on the side of the garage. The rear plate of the car is his birthday, the front one, wrinkeled, is his day of death. His bicycle is stored in the far corner of the garage (Eerst mijn fiets terug!), and the guy in his shirt with the hammer looks a lot like Mark Wigman. 
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October 18 2024 |
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The last check up. The holes are drilled in the plate, the men placed. several green patches to hide seems beteen the plate and the building. 
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October 16 2024 |
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Last parts and tune up's in painting and repairs. The Chasseur Ardennes had a gap in his thumb, and gets a little patch where his badge is on his cap. One of the horses lost a footrest. All gun belts are added and a little painting done. 
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October 14 2024 |
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3th composition, the Chasseur Ardennes moves to the right with the dismounted rider. The infantry men turn left behind the electricity pole. |
October 13 2024 |
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2nd composition. Mark van Etten gives an important advice for the final composition. Soldiers don't kling in groups, they would be a target. So they must be in a line!
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October 12 2024 |
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We're getting there. All figures on foam blocks to get a good idea of composition. Bas already changed the idea of direction in the first days. If the tank ran out to the left and the figures of the tank that Mark painted are to be on their place the must look from the rear of the tank to the retreaing infantery. 
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August 19 2024 |
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Most civilians have their faces and clothes. The car has a dented bumper, radiator and headlights, to explain his presance in the garage and cover it's radiator problem. The Chasseur Ardennes has the first of a new cab. The other was way to big. And I start at my biggest challenge: where to put these guys on the diorama. 
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August 5 2024 |
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First painting of faces, uniform and gear with acrylics works for some, not all figures. |
July 7 2024 |
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The first color layer of the uniforms gets the first idea of the tone that must blend in the rest of the diorama. It looks rather funny, seing them marching all directions. There pinned in the foam and some rotate. 
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July 6 2024 |
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The only figure that clearly is a Chasseur Ardennes needs some reworking. waving a gun in this scene is not possible. The leather straps around his legs need clamps, and so do the horsemen. All get their first coat of black overal and white from above. 
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July 4 2024 |
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Work in progress in the garage! The figures and horses are all through their first inspetion. The bicycle cleand and rebuild. Streetwork filled and the protruding rails shortened. Solid stainless! 
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July 3 2024 |
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What do I make with all these figures. Mark put Belgian helmets on most of them. All seams filled and the first search for colour and what is the possible thing with their uniforms. Most have gun streps protruding that must wait for the handling and painting to come. |
June 28 2024 |
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An old chain and a layer of thinned paint on the slider in the garage to cover the shine. but both rails protrude. Some loose parts put aside. Cleaning the streetwork reveals the waves in it. There is 2 sided tape underneath and that is stuck overlapping, hence the waves. A couple of stones get loose. A piece of the green bushes has to go to mimic the turning point before the garage, filling he gap tot the tank. Attaching the missing stones with glue and filler gives an idea where to go. It needs to be filled. The rough edges of the walls and the diorama board gets their first fix. The car was a brand new Mercedes 170V in those days. How can it be this shady color and what kind of a board is in the radiator? In his haste Mark has paleced the radiator guard too far back. These flimsy kits are a challenge to build anyway, and so fragile, I cannot rebuild it. So, It gets a nice coat op bright red enamel to get it's shine back. The left door repositioned and the tainted drivers window replaced. The radiator card is the PE maze, that is filled with paint. Once stripped it becomes flexible. 
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June 26 2024 |
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Well, cars is my thing, so lets start at that. Mark's funeral and birthday have passed, let's get going. Disconecing the car brings a suprise. A contact glue in low dose that holds the weight. |
April 12 2024 |
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Inventory. What do I have, what needs to be done. Some 30-40 figures to paint, and position. All edges are rough. That distracts the focus. So all that distracts must go. But it's not my diorama. It's Mark's style. Nothing must be changed, only fixed. 
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April 10 2024 |
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His son invited me to collect the half finished diorama on the wednesday evening. Mark explained the idea behind it and the nessecary things. The Chasseur Ardennes and the kid's. He was exhausted. The build of the 170V took him to long, or else he would have finished it himself. He said take your time, I won't be around to see it finished. Thursday morning the medication started to kick in and Saterday 13, he passed away very quit. And than i get home with a magnificent concept, but build in a breathtaking pace. Rough, with bold streakes of his very visable style. Where to start? 
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March 25 2024 |
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It started out with getting details for Mark. Things he needed in his last diorama. Water tabs, powerline fixings, and a stove. Rail for the doors in the garage. He outlined the idea and worked hard to get it done in time. 
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